After seizing approximately 900 opium plants on Saturday, Winder Police say they hope to get an official weight on the plants from the GBI crime lab on Monday. Criminal charges for the suspects who grew the plants are pending.

According to Winder Police Officer Chris Cooper, the plants were found after a Winder police officer was following up on information obtained from witnesses to a hit and run accident in a residential area. The accident occurred in the parking lot of Hill’s Ace Hardware store in Winder at approximately 3:30 p.m. on May 5.

Witnesses to the accident gave police a tag number along with a physical description of the vehicle that left the scene. Officers responded to a residence on Northcrest Drive, also in Winder, based on the information from the vehicle tag. They were able to make contact with a homeowner at the residence who was questioned about the accident. The homeowner lead officers to the rear of the property where a vehicle matching the description given by witnesses was found parked behind the home.

While at the rear of the home, Winder Police Officer Dustin Kaster noticed a very large quantity of an unusual plant growing all over the back of the property. Kaster apparently suspected the plant to be opium, but wasn’t entirely sure. After performing some brief research at the scene using the Internet, Kaster was able to identify the plant as an opium species.

Several residents of the home were detained by the Winder Police Department while the plants were seized. Police were apparently told by some of the residents that the plants were obtained from overseas, possibly from Asia, and were being used by an elderly person in the home for medicinal purposes, according to Cooper.

The Barrow County Crime Task Force also assisted in the investigation.

If you know what the plant is and what can be made from it, you are guilty by knowledge and it is illegal. The article states they were growing it for medicinal purposes and therefore they can be charged. If they didn't know what the plant was and were just growing it for beauty, then they would not be charged. They told on themselves.

There are more then enough pain pill mill quacks in Winder to get your vicodin / oxycodone fix. Just stand around the CVS counter long enough and you'll see more then one trying to figure out how many more pills they can get on their "prescription". No one uses heroin for any thing but getting high. This is organized crime... Moon Shine to Meth... Now Prescription Meds to Heroin...

This plant is not illegal to have because I have have seen it grown in alot of place. The police has nothing to do but waste tax money that we have paid. I dont think its appropriate to arrest everyone but you know pigs here in winder loves to waste time. This town is dead so obvious the cops has nothing to do but to hype up the media like this is a drug town.

well the plant is grown all over there are 120 species some used for fod, the leaves used in floral arrangments, for the most part only when police decide to find a reason is someone charged, this plant is grown all over the usa, used for food after all where do you think poppy seeds come from, oh but like i said selective enforcement

This is not "Selective Enforcement", this is Dumba$$ Enforcement, HE HIT & RAN Another Car, then Went to HIDE his Damaged Car in his OPIUM Farm, I say this is the kind of druggie I just love, a stupid one. He caused HIS own Enforcement issue. I haven't stop laughing yet....

He mixed his Two Criminal Activities. He could have just called his Insurance Company(if hae has any) and took his Accident Ticket like a Man, but .... Sorry still laughing... What a tube.

and maybe just not even noticed, by the way, second medcinal purposes may not be making opium, making tea from the flowers is common remedy is asian circles.

selective enforcement in regards to the fact poppies grow all over like orchids and by the way orchids are alos used or can be to create drugs that are not legal unless the Govt gives you permission.

stop this silliness... are they gonna start arresting the companies with plantations of poppy plants used for muffins and bagels. are they gonna start going to flower shows and arresting everyone there because there are orchid and poppy flowering palnts there.... give us a freaking break and stop wasting law enforcement on this load of crap

#4.1.1.1
No Accident at all, he served himself up...
on
05/08/12 at 10:18 PM
[Reply]

That is funny too. You type like you are on something, wait, are you on opium?

You & several others keep making excuses for this person, who obviously is not among society's brain trust, made very stupid choices, and he grew illegal plants period, in town no less... It makes NO difference that some legally prescribed drug are made from opium, those are LEGALLY obtained or are also ILLEGAL, Period.

it for medicinal purposes and making opium are two different things. just because herbalist use coco leaves does not mean they manufacture cocaine. just because people take poppy seed and leaves does not mean they make opiates

Many people forget that a large majority of prescription pain medications are opium based. I am along the same line of thinking with these medications being so available I don't know why the manufacturing of heroine would be a priority. Most people just get pain medications and just abuse them if that is their intention.

brown dried grainy substance does not at all sound like opium.... maybe she was using the stems and leaves but not the oils that are used to make opium...
i do not find it hard to believe that the crack law enforcement could not tell the difference between narcotics and non narcotics, probably will wind up charging this lady with possesion and intent to distribute look alike narcotics.... looking alike to narcotics only by the law enforcement trained by trianing officer named Mr MaGoo!!!! mening a blind bumbling persons who does not mean to cause problems for others but since he has no idea what he is doing or where he is going he does cause problems for other who are just trying to go about thier day without the isses MaGoo causes.

they come arrest Jackson EMC for all thepoppy plants growing on thier property and all the male hemp plants there also, go get em DEPUTY fife

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